Free wheeling life

I tried to work in Cafe Otto, which was great for the first hour once you got over people watching and wondering what everyone else was so busy typing on their laptops. Were they just messaging their friends or were they drafting the next cult screenplay?

Then various other self employed friends started drifting in. I made a retreat to the local library. Wow, I had forgotten about libraries. Free books! Brilliant idea. Then as I settled into a slightly wobbly chair and tried to ignore the stickiness of the table, I was joined by a lonely old woman who wanted to chat about the paper she was reading.

Next week Maya starts nursery and then I can get down to work in my desk at home, making my own coffee. So far I'm feeling guilty for the fact that I dont seem to feel any guilt leaving my daughter in the care of someone else. Its all I hear about, the guilt of working mothers. Frankly I think a professional with years of experience will be far better than my shambolic attempts at figuring out what a toddler would like to do today.

Aren't lists one of life's great satisfactions. I still like to have a reporter's notebook by my laptop into which i add and cross off lists all day. I have the list of things i need, people I must see, forgotten plans, and of course work scribblings. So here is a list I have of all the upsides and downsides of freelancing.

Good

I'm currently sitting in a swimming costume and sarong, typing in the garden, ready to jump in the paddling pool when Maya wakes
Being able to wear jumpers on a cool day, all day (whereas in an office you have to dress like its summer all year thanks to stupid air conditioning)
Making yourself a tasty lunch and a proper coffee (nasty filter coffee sat around in the office for hours)
Having your 'own office', away from other people's typing, loud phone calls and mindless small talk 
Having a break mid afternoon for a swim in an empty pool
Talking to yourself without having to worry about concerned colleagues
Playing music while you work
Deciding the hours you work that fit around your life, rather than the other way round

Bad

Forgetting how to put a decent outfit together...
Eating too much
Going loopy spending too much time alone

A friend said that her freelance friends got together and organised their own office christmas party, complete with bowling and a night out. I think that's brilliant. Perhaps we could also give eachother appraisal meetings where we tell eachother what a great job we are doing, give each other promotions and tips on how to improve our presentation